Arabesk by Barbara Nadel

 

First Line: From the high vantage point of their apartment balcony the two men watched as the routine of the early morning city began to take shape.

 

With Inspector Çetin Íkmen on enforced medical leave, newly promoted Inspector Suleyman, the son of one of Turkey's most aristocratic families, is in charge of his first case. He and his team find themselves plunged into the overly dramatic world of Arabesk music, a world dominated by an aging singing star known as Tansu, as they try to find the killer of the wife of one of Istanbul's most popular singers.

~

It's been much too long since I immersed myself in one of Barbara Nadel's Çetin Íkmen mysteries. The author always takes me right into the heart of the culture and history, not only of Istanbul but of Turkey itself.

Arabesk is the third book in this series, and the title is layered with meaning. It introduces readers to the world of Arabesk music, a magnificently vulgar, overblown world hugely popular with the masses, and it also refers to the complicated patterns of form or calligraphy known as Arabesque, a nod to the plot of the book.

 

If you're a reader who's allergic to even fictional cigarette smoke, you might want to give this one a miss because it seems as though everyone is constantly lighting one up. But if you're willing to brave the nicotine haze, you'll be greatly rewarded.

 

First, there's the strong plot that keeps you guessing. It's a mystery steeped in Turkish culture and history, and it's this look into another world that keeps me coming back for more. It's a world in which Kurds, Jews, Christians, and Muslims sometimes live together in harmony or sometimes brutally clash. If you're a police officer in Istanbul, you need to know the ins and outs of all these various factions. 

 

Inspector Çetin Íkmen has an encyclopedic knowledge of the city of Istanbul, but he's been put on the sidelines due to stomach ulcers and other health concerns. He'd much rather be on the job than trying to bribe his sons to bring him forbidden alcohol... or trying to figure out why one of his sons is being so moody. Íkmen's easy-going personality as well as his knowledge serves him well. He's no bigot and can get along with people from all walks of life-- something very helpful for successful investigations.

 

On the other hand, the newly promoted Inspector Suleyman, who was trained by Íkmen, can antagonize others simply by sounding patrician. It makes his work harder, especially since he's trying not to bother Íkmen too much. He'd much rather solve this case on his own merit.

 

If you enjoy history, culture, strong mysteries, and nuanced characters, you really need to give this series a try. I suggest beginning at the beginning with Belshazzar's Daughter. Armchair traveling sleuths are in for a treat!

Arabesk by Barbara Nadel

ISBN: 0747262195

Headline Book Publishing © 2001

Paperback, 407 pages

Police Procedural, #3 Inspector Çetin Íkmen mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadel

First Line: The old woman looked sadly up at the open door and sighed.

Istanbul's brandy- and nicotine-loving Inspector Çetin Ikmen has what should be an open-and-shut case. A young man is dead. Needle tracks and other signs point to drug abuse. There are rumors of prostitution, and a local family has reported a missing son. But nothing is as simple as it should be. Conflicting statements describing the owner of the apartment where the young man was found agree on two things: he wears a large, flashy ring, and he "looks Armenian."  Before Ikmen has the answers he needs, he's going to have to deal with the lingering residue of a hundred-year-old genocide and an even older legacy that dates all the way back to the Ottoman Empire at its height.

Two years ago, the first book in this series, Belshazzar's Daughter, was one of the best books I read. I've taken entirely too long to get back to this series, and I picked up The Ottoman Cage with a great deal  of anticipation. I enjoyed watching the wily Inspector Ikmen at work, but at times it felt as though there was too much going on for one book.

The book felt too long and moved as slowly as molasses in January throughout the murder investigation. It revealed itself much too slowly, undoubtedly due more to modern attitudes in Turkey toward the Armenian genocide than to its ties to the customs of the old Ottoman Empire. The murderer's identity was very clear to me early on, and as the investigation dragged on, I found myself becoming impatient.

There is also a lot of Ikmen's personal life in this book, but I did not find these parts intrusive at all. Quite the contrary, they illuminated the inspector's character and revealed elements of his personality that prove he isn't always as charming as he was in the first book. Ikmen, married and with nine children, has his elderly father living with them. Timür (and the entire family for that matter) is suffering from his advanced dementia. It's particularly difficult for Ikmen's wife, Fatma, who has debilitating health problems of her own. Nadel does an excellent job showing us not only how these two problems tear at the fabric of the family, but how Ikmen's coping mechanisms have a profound effect as well.

Although the pace dragged and I became impatient from time to time, I'm glad that I read the book. Nadel has created a marvelous character in Çetin Ikmen, and she brings Istanbul and the country of Turkey to life. I'm looking forward to book number three.

The Ottoman Cage by Barbara Nadel
Also published as A Chemical Prison

ISBN:  9781933397849

Felony and Mayhem © 2007

Paperback, 436 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Inspector Çetin Ikmen mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen